


Mask

by WitchoftheMareBeast



Category: Original Work
Genre: Other, new OC shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-13 23:45:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7143383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchoftheMareBeast/pseuds/WitchoftheMareBeast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Speimore just wished Ginrach would take off that mask for once. Even if what was underneath was someone who was cuter then he was betting on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mask

What amazed Speimore most about Vinlana was despite the fact she was an elusive, scheming, potential threat to him, she had quite the wonderful ability of tracking an _actual_ threat and presenting it to him. He didn’t know how she did it with her information hunting, but he found himself impressed on multiple occasions. In every aspect, Speimore believed Vinlana was actually a shadow, or an illusion. She had a marvelous way of just disappearing without a trace, and reappearing without warning. She was gone for a few days this time, and Speimore ordered his Pennies to sit back and cause trouble if they must, to have a few drinks, to take a nice lady or two down to the nearest bar, and, to just go out and do something.

Speimore had his patience, and the last thing he wanted to do on a mind filled with uncertainty was have his Pennies by his side, pestering him, trying to talk to him, trying to warm up to him. Or, as he liked to put it, kiss his ass, because that’s all they’ve ever done. He left that night, walking out onto the cold street dimly lit by the flickering lamp lights above his head. He walked aimlessly, to nowhere in particular. Drinks sounded nice, but at the time, he wasn’t interested. He knew he should be more guarded when walking freely on the street without any of his underlings at his side to strike at what posed a threat, but Speimore was certain that if there is anything ever to fear on the street late at night, it better be himself. He had to admit to himself that, despite his youth, he could be quite the monster. But if he were going to acknowledge he was a monster, then he saw no reason for him not to act like one.

And of all nights, after he sent his Pennies to go relax, Vinlana appeared out of thin air, as per usual, putting her foot one step in front of his and cutting ahead, spinning around to face him. She clasped her hands behind her back, sweat beading her forehead, glossing her dark skin, but worry shined prominently in her eyes. She spoke hastily, unlike her usual calm, collective manner, telling of a planned attack that was surely soon to take place against him and his territory.

He supposed after all this time of narrowing his eyes down at her, shaking his head in disapprovement, she could prove to be a rather useful lass. Even if Speimore didn’t want to admit it - and all that listen need to believe him that he in no way would ever put his life in any hands of any of his Pennies - but he does rely on Vinlana and her own tactics to turn games in his own favor. What gave Vinlana his favoritism, he didn’t know. Maybe it was the fact she was a pesky, scheming, potential threat to him and his power. Because who wouldn’t love a woman who could make someone like Speimore think twice about where her loyalties lay? It was thrilling.

But even if her loyalties lay on interests that weren’t his own, there was no doubting that what she said earlier was true. And with a smile on his lips as he walked casually across the old, dirty cobblestone bridge, he told her that confirmation was not needed.

Vinlana was surprised that he even knew what was going on, but over all, he thanked her for the concern. He knew that the Silent Devils were plotting something weeks and weeks back. He can’t even remember how long ago it was, but he easily caught wind of it. It was sneaky of them in the first place, the bunch of lying bastards, to think they could bargain with a couple of snipers looking to be hired. He was certain that even if they didn’t specify specifically that they would be paid if they shot a bullet into Speimore, it was only logical that they’d head after the leader. Not to mention that Lanston, the head of the Silent Devils, had a seething hatred for Speimore when he took Lanston’s bar away from him. A primary hangout for the Pennies nowadays was inside that bar, and he was certain at some point Lanston was going to try and reclaim it. He laughed under his breath at the thought of that, little Lanston, only a year older than him, trying to pry that bar out of his grasp. He saw what happened the first time when he attempted to take it back right away, and if he had to be so curious, Speimore would give him another demonstration on what it meant to stay away from things that aren’t his. He isn’t allowed in the bar anymore, nor are any of his cronies. He doesn’t quite get what part of any of that Lanston doesn’t understand. So what, he built the place, but it was a rather major pile of dirt, dust, grime, muck - anything you could think of, it was there. He may be a rich boy, Speimore thought, but he had little to no clue what upkeep was.

Lanston was always wondering why the place had little to no business when he hardly had ever picked up a broom in his life. After Speimore took over, making his Pennies scrub down each and every crevice of the place possible, it got busier, and then, only then after Lanston saw how much money Speimore was making off of the place, did he try to fight back and make it his own again. Of course, dealing with him wasn’t that much of an issue in the end, as with a few orders mumbled under his breath, his Pennies drove them out of there in mere minutes. Enough time for Speimore to finish a drink, and Vinlana scold him for drinking under the age limit. He asked her, trying not to laugh, who was actually going to snitch on him. And then went a step further more to ask what law enforcer would actually think it was a good idea, after all the tricks they’ve seen pulled by Speimore himself, to come after him and arrest him because he had one shot of whiskey.

 _“Risk is your nature. One day, it’ll kill you.”_  
  
The voice was deep and soft in Speimore’s conscience, and he had to hold back from laughing too much.  
  
“Yeah, I know.”  
  
_“You so sure of yourself.”_  
  
“I am.” Speimore admitted as he finally stopped somewhere along the old cobblestone bridge, Vinlana long gone. He put his hand on the ledge, feeling the cold stone beneath it chill his skin almost instantly. It had rained earlier in the night, and with the overcast sky hanging above them all, it gave the old, empty street a feeling of abandonment. He took a deep breath, breathing in the light mist that lingered in the air, loving the smell of damp earth after rain.

 _“About Lanston…”_ The voice began, trailing off soon after, as if expecting Speimore to know where it was headed.

“Eh, don’t worry about that dense ass. I’ll make him and his idiots clean the place up once they’re done throwing tantrums. I’ll charge him for the damages, and make them pay extra just for being children.”

_“Lanston is older than you.”_

“But doesn’t like to act like it. Moron can’t even hold up his own confidence before he’s shaking in his boots.”

_“Talks more than he acts, that’s for sure.”_

Speimore smiled to himself. He could just feel the wicked grin in his conscience. Cracking his knuckles before leaning off of the edge of the bridge, he walked toward the end of it, stepping off onto the stone path, tapping the heel of his shoe against the first stone. He glanced around for any unwanted visitors before lowering his voice.

“How did Vinlana figure any of that out? Even if Lanston is stupid, he’s very secretive. I don’t doubt my own methods on digging up information, but to have Vinlana figure out…”

_“Maybe she used the same method you did.”_

Speimore considered that possibility, but the way he got information was often referred to as cruel, harmful, and ruthless. He shrugged his shoulders, because while he wanted to say someone like Vinlana would never give it a thought, he supposed he shouldn’t write it off completely. Or maybe she’d stolen the information from him somehow, which he doubted, seeing as he hadn’t written it down anywhere or discussed it with anyone before. Vinlana could just be that good, and while he’d like to doubt that, for some reason, he wouldn’t put it past her.

With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, feeling the familiar pull at the front of his mind. Bracing the odd feeling, a solid body appeared next to his, and his conscience felt a little less clustered than before as the demon stood inches from him, their hands clasped in front of them pleasantly.

“You know, you’ve looked stressed lately.” Ginrach said, their voice soft. It was nice to hear their voice outside of his head.

“Mm, you’re exaggerating.”

“Not at all. If there’s anyone who knows you best, it’s me. I live inside your head, after all.”

“As a second conscience, I would advise against your decisions to go deciding my business.”

“I bet - ” Ginrach began as they stepped forward toward him, their hands touching abruptly, making Speimore raise his eyes to look at them in their dark, almost black eyes, “ - it’s something to do with the bar.”

“...Not at all? I have that covered.”

“Mm, right. Let me keep guessing. Is it Vinlana?”

“No.”

“Your Pennies?”

“No.”

“Food?”

“...Why would food stress me out?”

“Just asking. How about - “

Speimore raised his hand, cutting Ginrach off effectively. Even if they were the demon, they had no right to barge in on his business. They do his bidding, and not the other way around. To keep Ginrach around, he had to have the same goals, and quite frankly, Ginrach was as greedy as any demon could come, and Speimore was a human with interests in that kind of lifestyle. To make money, but not honestly, was the grandest idea that ever dawned on him, so making a pact with Ginrach to satisfy their greedy needs. And upon making that pact, Ginrach promised Speimore great power so they both could achieve what they wanted. Ginrach mainly resided in Speimore’s mind, but sometimes, like now, stepped out. It was like being possessed, but Speimore was always in control.

He sometimes wished they would show what they actually looked like though. Their face was covered by a mask carved out of wood, made to look like a type of bird that Speimore’s never seen. Their body was swathed in a long, black robe, hand-stitched by the look of it. When Speimore asked for them just once if he could see what they looked like, they insisted they remain hidden. They claimed it was for his safety, but Speimore could tell a lie from even the best of liars. They were just playing around with them. He wondered if he never mentioned anything is Ginrach would have removed their mask without him asking to, but it seemed now they kept the mask on as a joke. To tease him. He would get angry, but being in his conscience all the time, they could easily tell.

“Eh? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re mad over something. Mind if I slip back inside that little head of yours and see if I can find out for myself?”

“Don’t push it, Ginrach.”

They laughed, their smile warm from what Speimore could see. “Don’t be like that. I’ll do what I want, and you know that.”

They seemed as if they were about to fade back into Speimore’s conscience, but he reached out and grasped their wrist. It was a bit roughly done, and they widened their eyes slightly, as if not expecting Speimore to abruptly be friendly of contact, but when he realized he was being too harsh, he released them awkwardly, coughing into his hand before letting the hand hang loosely by his side. He could feel the heat creeping up on his cheeks, burning to the tips of his ears as he glanced around for a second, lowering his voice.

“Take off your mask.”

Ginrach’s expression fell to be slightly unimpressed. He looked into their eyes, wondering if they were truly that dark, or if it was just the doing of the mask.

“This again? Why do you want to see my face so badly, Speimore?”

He didn’t know how to answer that.

“Isn’t it weird for us to be around each other all the time...and yet, I don’t even know what you look like?”

“What? Is the signature Ginrach look not doing it for you? Just look at Lanston’s demon. They’re not shy of letting anything show. But me? I’m mysterious, an enigma, an absolute wonder to even my own human! Isn’t that enough?”

Speimore shook his head. Ginrach studied his features for a few moments, as if waiting for him to say something, but when they saw how badly he was blushing, they laughed under their breath. Speimore found his hands on the sides of their mask, guided by their own hands. They rest his fingertips against it, giving him a smile. He stared, uncertain of what to do until Ginrach started laughing again, the noise enough to rile up the irritation in his head again. The fact they could be so amused at such a simple request was enough to piss him off.

“Take it off.” Ginrach encouraged. Speimore hesitated.

Without thinking much, even after a brief moment of hesitation, he pulled the mask right off, letting it clutter to the ground. He looked down at the mask, trying to look distracted, but Ginrach’s cold hands were back on his still warm face, guiding it up to look them dead in the eye. And, of course, he could only feel his cheeks grow warmer as he took in the almost flawless complexion that belonged to Ginrach. Their dark hair as soon as the mask was removed fell on their forehead, and their dark eyes were as shiny as the ocean’s dark waters. Their lips looked soft, and a scar cut across their right eyebrow, but over all, he was quick to pull away from their touch, leaning down to pick the fallen mask off of the ground and thrust it back into their hands.

“What?” Ginrach asked. “You don’t like my face?”

“Yes. I mean, no. No.”

They raised an eyebrow.

“Wait, no, I meant yes, I do like your face. It’s a nice face. Greatest face I’ve ever seen.”

It was the worst recovery Speimore could muster up, but just as he began thinking that he recovered from the sputtering, they smiled wide, pointing teeth in their mouth visible as they walked forward, pushing a finger into his chest.

“Oh, you think I’m cute!”

“Most...Most certainly not. Vile thing…”

They snickered. “But I thought you said I had the greatest face you’d ever seen? That really does mean you think I’m cute.”

Speimore stepped further away from them, trying not to cater to them, but he couldn’t hide much when they were back inside of his conscience. Slipping the mask back onto place on their face, Speimore felt that space be taken back up inside of his head as Ginrach slipped back inside, fading away beside of him. He took a deep breath, pushing it out of his mouth as he raised a hand to settle over his racing heart. Who did Ginrach think they were? He was a ruthless leader, for crying out loud, and had no time to think of anyone as ‘cute’. Even if he really did get lost in their eyes for a few seconds there.

And among his racing mind. Speimore heard a faint giggle.


End file.
